Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson called for his side to address mistakes and defensive lapses ahead of their Indian Super League (ISL) clash against NorthEast United FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.

The Blues had occupied the eighth position in the league with five points from six games, having won once, drawn twice, and suffered three losses. Grayson emphasised the importance of eliminating mistakes to secure three points. 

“We were working hard on the training pitch. We have to eliminate the mistakes that we had been making occasionally,” he said in the pre-match press conference.

NorthEast United FC, in the sixth position with eight points from six games, presented a challenging opponent for Bengaluru FC. Grayson acknowledged the positive start of NorthEast United FC and underscored the need for his team to focus on their performance. 

“We were respectful of the opposition. They had some good players and had a good start, but we had to concentrate on what we needed to do,” he explained.

After their match in Guwahati, Bengaluru FC would play four of the next five matches at home. Grayson hoped for a positive outcome in Guwahati to boost the team's spirits for the upcoming home games. 

“It was the first of six games we had till the end of November, so we could go into our home games with good spirits if we could win this game, but it would not be easy,” he said.

Grayson noted that players who were away with their national teams had returned and would be assessed before the game. He reassured that there were no major injury concerns in his team.

Australian forward Ryan Williams joined Grayson in the pre-match press conference. Williams has featured in all of Bengaluru FC’s matches so far, scoring two goals. He spoke about his positive experience in India. 

“I really enjoyed my time in India so far. I enjoyed the training sessions and games,” he said.

Despite average results, Williams believed his team had not been completely outplayed in any of the matches. 

“We lost games, but we were not outplayed in any of the games so far. There were some individual mistakes and errors.”

Having spent the majority of his career in England, Williams said he has felt comfortable working with Grayson and spoke about how the Bengaluru FC head coach has helped him integrate into a new environment. 

“It was very familiar for me with Simon being English, and me spending almost half of my career in England. It was really easy for me to find my feet under his guidance,” Williams revealed.

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